Thursday, October 08, 2009
TIME TO THINK
TIME TO THINK
Author Unknown
October 8, 2009
My brother-in-law opened the bottom drawer of my sister's bureau and
lifted out a tissue-wrapped package.
"This," he said, "is not a slip. This is lingerie." He discarded the
tissue and handed me the slip. It was exquisite; silk, handmade and
trimmed with a cobweb of lace. The price tag with an astronomical
figure on it was still attached. "Jan bought this the first time we
went to New York, at
least 8 or 9 years ago. She never wore it. She was saving it for a
special occasion. Well, I guess this is the occasion." He took the
slip from me and put it on the bed with the other clothes we were
taking to the mortician. His hands lingered on the soft material for a
moment, then he slammed the drawer shut and turned to me. "Don't ever
save anything for a special occasion. Every day you're alive is a
special occasion."
I remembered those words through the funeral and the days that
followed when I helped him and my niece attend to all the sad chores
that follow an unexpected death. I thought about them on the plane
returning to California from the Midwestern town where my sister's
family lives. I thought about all the things that she hadn't seen or
heard or done. I thought about the things that she had done without
realizing that they were special.
I'm still thinking about his words, and they've changed my life. I'm
reading more and dusting less. I'm sitting on the deck and admiring
the view without fussing about the weeds in the garden. I'm spending
more time with my family and friends and less time in committee
meetings. Whenever possible, life should be a pattern of experience to
savor, not endure. I'm trying to recognize these moments now and
cherish them. I'm not "saving" anything; we use our good china and
crystal for every special event-such as losing a pound, getting the
sink unstopped, the first camellia blossom. I wear my good blazer to
the market if I like it. My theory is if I look prosperous, I can
shell out $28.49 for one small bag of groceries without wincing. I'm
not saving my good perfume for special parties; clerks in hardware
stores and tellers in banks have noses that function as well as my
party-going friends. "Someday" and "one of these days" are losing
their grip on my vocabulary. If it's worth seeing or hearing or doing,
I want to see and hear and do it now.
I'm not sure what my sister would've done had she known that she
wouldn't be here for the tomorrow we all take for granted. I think she
would have called family members and a few close friends. She might
have called a few former friends to apologize and mend fences for past
squabbles. I like to think she would have gone out for a Chinese
dinner, her favorite food. I'm guessing - I'll never know.
It's those little things left undone that would make me angry if I
knew that my hours were limited. Angry because I put off seeing good
friends whom I was going to get in touch with - "someday". Angry
because I hadn't written certain letters that I intended to write -
one of these days. Angry and sorry that I didn't tell my husband and
daughter often enough how much I truly love them.
I'm trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that
would add laughter and luster to our lives. And every morning when I
open my eyes, I tell myself that it is special.
Every day, every minute, every breath truly is... a gift from God.
If you've received this it is because someone cares for you. If you're
too busy to take the few minutes that it would take right now to
forward this to ten people, would it be the first time you didn't do
that little thing that would make a difference in your relationships?
I can tell you it certainly won't be the last. Take a few minutes to
send this to a few people you care about, just to let them know that
you're thinking of them.
May God litter your life with blessings!
"You've got to dance like nobody's watching, and love like it's never
going to hurt."
"People say true friends must always hold hands, but true friends
don't need to hold hands because they know the other hand will always
be there."
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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believed to be free for circulation or public domain. All messages come
in either by email in original form or copied from the internet sites.
The work was submitted to us as an item for distribution, and it was
posted solely on the basis of its quality.
� 2009 FoodForThought
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
Author Unknown
October 8, 2009
My brother-in-law opened the bottom drawer of my sister's bureau and
lifted out a tissue-wrapped package.
"This," he said, "is not a slip. This is lingerie." He discarded the
tissue and handed me the slip. It was exquisite; silk, handmade and
trimmed with a cobweb of lace. The price tag with an astronomical
figure on it was still attached. "Jan bought this the first time we
went to New York, at
least 8 or 9 years ago. She never wore it. She was saving it for a
special occasion. Well, I guess this is the occasion." He took the
slip from me and put it on the bed with the other clothes we were
taking to the mortician. His hands lingered on the soft material for a
moment, then he slammed the drawer shut and turned to me. "Don't ever
save anything for a special occasion. Every day you're alive is a
special occasion."
I remembered those words through the funeral and the days that
followed when I helped him and my niece attend to all the sad chores
that follow an unexpected death. I thought about them on the plane
returning to California from the Midwestern town where my sister's
family lives. I thought about all the things that she hadn't seen or
heard or done. I thought about the things that she had done without
realizing that they were special.
I'm still thinking about his words, and they've changed my life. I'm
reading more and dusting less. I'm sitting on the deck and admiring
the view without fussing about the weeds in the garden. I'm spending
more time with my family and friends and less time in committee
meetings. Whenever possible, life should be a pattern of experience to
savor, not endure. I'm trying to recognize these moments now and
cherish them. I'm not "saving" anything; we use our good china and
crystal for every special event-such as losing a pound, getting the
sink unstopped, the first camellia blossom. I wear my good blazer to
the market if I like it. My theory is if I look prosperous, I can
shell out $28.49 for one small bag of groceries without wincing. I'm
not saving my good perfume for special parties; clerks in hardware
stores and tellers in banks have noses that function as well as my
party-going friends. "Someday" and "one of these days" are losing
their grip on my vocabulary. If it's worth seeing or hearing or doing,
I want to see and hear and do it now.
I'm not sure what my sister would've done had she known that she
wouldn't be here for the tomorrow we all take for granted. I think she
would have called family members and a few close friends. She might
have called a few former friends to apologize and mend fences for past
squabbles. I like to think she would have gone out for a Chinese
dinner, her favorite food. I'm guessing - I'll never know.
It's those little things left undone that would make me angry if I
knew that my hours were limited. Angry because I put off seeing good
friends whom I was going to get in touch with - "someday". Angry
because I hadn't written certain letters that I intended to write -
one of these days. Angry and sorry that I didn't tell my husband and
daughter often enough how much I truly love them.
I'm trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that
would add laughter and luster to our lives. And every morning when I
open my eyes, I tell myself that it is special.
Every day, every minute, every breath truly is... a gift from God.
If you've received this it is because someone cares for you. If you're
too busy to take the few minutes that it would take right now to
forward this to ten people, would it be the first time you didn't do
that little thing that would make a difference in your relationships?
I can tell you it certainly won't be the last. Take a few minutes to
send this to a few people you care about, just to let them know that
you're thinking of them.
May God litter your life with blessings!
"You've got to dance like nobody's watching, and love like it's never
going to hurt."
"People say true friends must always hold hands, but true friends
don't need to hold hands because they know the other hand will always
be there."
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Join our group on Facebook and post your comments on the reflection: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=142903436398
Webpage: http://www.dailyfoodforthought.org/
Group Address: http://groups.google.com/group/dailyfoodforthought
GROUP CONTACT:
To subscribe from this group, share a reflection or feedback
on the reflection of the day, send email to: foodforthought2@earthlink.net
To unsubscribe : dailyfoodforthought-unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
DISCLAIMER: FoodForThought shared this message as submitted and do not
claim to own any copyright privileges on it. All the messages are
believed to be free for circulation or public domain. All messages come
in either by email in original form or copied from the internet sites.
The work was submitted to us as an item for distribution, and it was
posted solely on the basis of its quality.
� 2009 FoodForThought
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
# posted by F O O D F O R T H O U G H T @ 3:19 AM 
